Sanitary mouthpiece.



W. W. WOODRUFF.

SANITARY MOUTHPIEGB.

A PBLIoATIoN FILED JULY s, 1911.

19,288., 'Patented Mar.5,1912

www f Yie WETTEN STTTE@ PATTQN T @TTTE WILLIAM W. WOODRUFF, 0F CANTON, MISSISSIPPI.

" SANTARY MOUTHPIECE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.. 5, T912.

Application tiled July 6, 1911. Serial No. 637,489.

vide a chamberor receptacle around and in` communication with the interiorofamouth piece andV filled or supplied with a suitable antiseptic salt, chemical compound, or germicide of a slightly volatile quality and having the characteristic of giving ott sutilcient moisture to slightly dampen the inner surface of the wall of the orifice, so that if by chance any germ which the fuines of the germieide do not kill, be deposited on the said inner surface it will be held against inhalation by the user of the mouthpiece.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mouthpiece with a germiciole holding chamber between imperforate outer and perforate inner shells in continuous relation at their outer terminals and spaced at their inner terminals to form an inner feed; or supply opening for the chamber, and also to embody as a part of the mouthpiece e combined chamber closing and mouthpiece attaching means of a conveniently voperative structure.

With these and other objects and advantages in View, the invention consists oi the efmstruction and arrangement of the several parts whieh'will be more fully hereinafter described andelaimed.

ln the drawing: Figure l is a 'sectional perspective viewer' e telephone transmitter illustrating one application ot' the improved mouthpiece. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail sectional perspective views oi the parts ot the mouthpiece shown separated.

The numeral 5 designates the outer shell and 6 the inner shell of the mouthpiece, the said shells being formed of suitable material and preferably continuous at the outer ter minal ot'rthe'v 1piece and spaced to provide an inlet or supp y opening 7. The material of which the shells' are formed is bent or other wise shaped 'or lformed to produce the said inner and outer shells 5 and 6, and between the latter is an annular chamber 8 which isv accessible through the inner inlet or supply opening 7. The outer shell 5 is imperforatc and the inner shell 6 is formed with rows or a plurality of openings 9 through which the fumes and moisture of a suitable germicide, salt, chemical or chemical compound passes to the interior of the mouthpiece or inner surface, of the shell 6. The inner side of the inner terminal of the outer shell 5 is formed with screw-threads 10 to receive corresponding screwthreads 1l on the outer side of an annular flange 12 projectingfrom the center of a head 13 of a combined chamber closing and attaching plug or union 14; having an interiorly andfexteriorly serewthreaded neck 15. The central position xof the flange l2 relatively to the head provides outer and inner annular shoulders or ledges 16 and 17 against which the inner ends ot' the shells 5 and 6 are adapted izo-respectively abut when the plug 1li is a plied. The plug head 13 is also `formed Wit i an inner perforated partition or septum 18 of the form ordinarily used in the mouthpieces of telephone transmitters to protect the diaphragm.' The serew-threads on the exterior and interior of the plug neck 15 are to adapt the mouthpiece for attachment over a screw collar lor analogous device, or within ascrewthreaded opening 19, as shown byA Fig. 1. The threads on" the neck 15 are right-hand, and the threads ll oi the flange l2 are lefthand, to avoid loosening the plugfrom the shells 5 and 6 and unscaling the chamber '8 when detaching the mouthpiece as a Whole, or to permit the detachmentand attachment ot the shells relatively to the plug. to refill or recharge andreapply the chamber ElWithv out detaching the'plug from the transmitter or other device to which the mouthpiece is applied. .llt will be seen that the flange 12 tightly closes the inner 'ortion of the c amher @and all fumes an( moisture from the germicide are caused to pass through the openings 9 of the inner shell to the interior of the orifice of the mouthpiecev The parte of the plug 14 are of integral formation, and said plug as an entirety ispreferablyE formed el vulcanized rubber, but, metal, compressed ber or other .suitable material may, be used for this purpose.

rlfhe antiseptic disinfecting or deoflorizing salt, chemical compound, or germiciilc (lisposcd in the chamber 8 may be of any well known or other form, but it is preferred that it be suiiiciently humid to permit moisture thereof to pass through the openings 9 to the inner surface of the shell 6 to hold such germs as may not be destroyed or killed by the fumes and prevent inhalation thereoiE by t? e "user of the mouthpiece. Thegreater p7 rtion of the germs, however, will be destroyed by the fumes of the disinfectant or germicide passing to the interior oi the oritice, The mouthpiece may be easily cleaned from time to time by thoroughly wiping the interior wall or inner shell and exposed portions of the plug including they partition or septum 18.

Among the many structural advantages' of the improved mouthpiece the more important are the convenience in charging the clramber 8 and the\ positive sealing ot the charging inlet of said chamber by the flange 12 of the plug 14, and the facility in ati taching and detaching the mouthpiece as a whole through the medium of the plug without exposing or unsealing the chamber 8 andfthe capability of -detaching the shells 5 and ,f6 as a unit and exposing the chamber at its inner extremity' for recharging the same without disturbing the plug. I

It will be understood that the dimensions and proportions of the mouthpiece may be Varied at will.

llVhat is claimed is: A

1. In a sanitary mouthpiece, inner and outer shells having a chamber therebetween open at its inner extremity, the inner shell being-.perforated and the chamber containa -moist germicide, and a plug having a closing flange for entering the inner open end oit' the chamber between the shells and a screwthreaded neck for attaching the mouthpiece.

2. ln a sanitary mouthpiece, inner and outer shells having a chamber between them and formed continuous at their outer portions and spaced at their inner extremities to provide aY charging opening, the inner shell being perforated and the chamber filled with a moist germicide, and an attaching plug having means for closing the charging opening and extendingr inwardly between of the shells.

3. In a sanitary mouthpiece, inner and outer shells having a chamber between them with a charging opening at its inner extremity, the inner shell being perforated and the chamber filled with ay suitable germicide, the inner side of the inner end of the outer shell having screw-threads, and a plug having an exteriorly7 threaded annular flange to fit in and close the inner extremityT of the chamber and also provided with a threaded attaching neck, the threads of the shell and flange and neck being left and right.

4. In a sanitary mouthpiece, inner and outer shells having a. germicide chamber the shells and fully sealing the inner ends therebetween open at its inner extremity torcharging purposes, the inner shell being perforated, and a combined sealing and attaching plug having an annular sealing flange extending from one end thereof into the open extremity of the chamber and a shoulder on each side of the flange to abut against the inner ends of the shells, an attaching neck being provided at the opposite end of the plug and a perfor-ate partition Within the latter.

5. In a sanitary mouthpiece, inner and outer shells having a chamber formed between them with a charging opening at the inner ends of the shells, the inner shell be ing perforated and thc chamber'normalbfilled with a germicide, and an attaching plug having means tor removably closing the said charging opening of the chamber.

6. In a sanitary mouthpiece, inner and outer shells having a germicide containing chamber tl rebetween provided with a charging opening at the inner ends of the shells, the inner shell being perforated, and.r

an attaching plug haring means to enter and seal the said charging opening and to abut against the inner ends of the shells.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

'WILLIAM lV. VOODRUFF.

TWitnesses:

H. R. COVINGTON, KATE ADAIR. 

